Page 70 of Hopeful Cowboy

A collective “aw” rose into the air, and Ginger’s heart swelled with so much love for him.

“Who’s responsible for you there?” Judge Jerry asked.

“My dad,” Connor said, looking up at Nate. “And Spencer. And Jack. And Nick. There’s Emma, Jess, Jill, and Ginger too. And so many horses, and—” He stopped when Nate put his hand on the top of his head, and several people in the courtroom chuckled.

Including the judge. “So you have a lot of people looking after you.”

“And Ursula,” Connor said.

“And you, Mister Mulbury?”

“I report to Ginger Talbot, ma’am. She reports to the BOP.”

“Did Miss Talbot come with you?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Nate turned toward the audience, his eyes searching for her.

Ginger hadn’t realized she’d need to be part of the proceedings. She stood up, lifting her right hand halfway as if everyone wasn’t looking at her now.

The judge gestured for Ginger to join Nate and Connor at the small table on the other side of the short wall keeping the audience back from the podium. She made it to the table and reached down and pressed her palm flat against the wood, using it to steady herself.

“Your reports have been favorable,” Judge Jerry said, clearly a prompt.

“Yes, Your Honor,” she said, her voice scratchy. “Nate is such an excellent cowboy, I’m hoping to hire him on permanently once he’s eligible.”

She shuffled some more papers, which seemed to take a very long time. “And young man Connor. You want your Uncle Nate to be your father?”

He looked up at Nate, who nodded a couple of times. “Yes,” Connor said.

“Anything to add, Mister Matthews?”

“Only that Nathaniel is capable and ready for this responsibility, Your Honor. He’s already been doing it for months now.”

“Yes,” the judge mused. She finally closed the folder and looked up. “All right. I see no reason for the two of you not to be a family. I’m signing this now to make this a legal adoption, and to make things even easier, no one has to change any names.” She beamed out at them, and Nate did something Ginger had never seen him do before.

He whooped and picked up Connor, who laughed as he looked down at his new father.

Ginger wanted to commit this moment to memory, because it was so full of joy and so precious.

“You can have two minutes for a picture,” the bailiff said. “We’re ready for the Jacobsen’s.” He stepped over to the separating wall and Ginger moved forward with Lawrence. They stood back while Nate and Connor posed by the judge.

Ginger snapped pictures, the smiles now captured digitally forever.

Then they left the courtroom. Nate clapped Lawrence on the back of his shoulder, and said, “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Lawrence said with a big smile. “I’ll see you in a couple of months.” He held up one palm. “Not a day before, okay, Nate? I don’t want to see you until February.”

“Deal,” Nate said. They watched Lawrence leave, and Nate finally turned his attention to Ginger. He burst out laughing again, and he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her right off her feet. She giggled with him, and Nate bent to pick up Connor. “Come on,” he said. “This calls for the biggest ice cream cone in Texas, and I know just where to get one.”

“Yeah!” Connor cheered, and it was a good long while before Ginger could stop smiling.

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